Summary of Contents for Yamaha RX-17

While the following statements are provided to comply with FCC Regulations in the United States, the corrective measures listed below are applicable worldwide. This series of Yamaha professional music equipment uses frequencies that appear in the radio frequency range and if installed in the immediate proximity of some types of audio or video devices (within three meters), interference may occur.

The QUICK GUIDE is a reference index which lets you easily locate any particular operation on the RX17 – useful in those moments when you’re in a hurry and can’t remember where in this manual an operation is described. And now-it’s all up to you. Enjoy your Yamaha RX17 Digital Rhythm Programmer!

MESSAGES chapter near the end of this manual). This means that you should have the battery replaced. Do not attempt to replace the battery yourself. Refer this job to your Yamaha dealer. NOTE: When the battery is replaced, all Pattern and Song data in the RX17 will be lost. Be...

1.1 SETTING UP 1. Connect the PA-1 AC convertor to the RX17 first, then to the AC power supply. 2. To hear the RX17, do one of the following: A. Connect stereo headphones to the PHONES connector. B. Connect the L(MONO) output to an amplifier, for mono playback. C.

1.3.2 SINGLE lNSTRUMENT CHANGE 1. Press INST CHANGE 2. Press the key corresponding to the instrument you wish to change. 3. Press the same instrument key again to change the instrument. 4. Press INST CHANGE again to return to the mode the RX17 was in before the Instrument Change operation.

2. Press and hold the green ACCENT key and then press the instrument key corresponding to the instrument whose Accent level you wish to change. 3. Use the –1 NO or +1 YES key to change the Accent level. RANGE: ±31. 4.

On the RX17, a “Pattern” means a one bar sequence, which repeats when you play it back. You “write” (enter) each note of a Pattern, by pressing the instrument keys. Pattern Writing can be done in two ways: Real Time (see 2.2) or Step Write (see 2.3). The Quantize feature allows you to set the “fineness”...

2. To stop play, press STOP/CONTINUE. 3. To restart play, press START to play from the beginning of the Pattern, or STOP/ CONTINUE to play from the point at which play was stopped. During Pattern play, you can change the Tempo using the TEMPO slider, or using operation 1.7.1.

2.2.3 SETTING QUANTIZE Quantize when used in Real Time Write is an automatic timing correction device. Any notes you play that do not fall exactly on the beat are moved to the nearest beat. For example, if you set Quantize to 1/16, all notes played will be moved to the nearest 16th note.

2.3.2 SETTING PATTERN LENGTH See operation 2.2.2. 2.3.3 SETTING QUANTIZE In the Step Write mode, Quantize allows you to set the minimum note length that can be entered. For example, if you set Quantize to 1/16, the shortest note that can be entered is a 16th note (16 notes in a bar of 4/4).

2.3.6 DELETING NOTES Notes can be deleted (erased) by stepping through a Dot Display until you locate the erroneous note, then holding the BEAT CLEAR key, and tapping the appropriate instrument key. The Note Marker will disappear, and the cursor will move to the next beat. 2.3.7 DELETING INSTRUMENTS Entire instrument parts can be deleted (erased) from a Pattern, as follows.

4.1 to save the Patterns on tape before this operation, if you wish to preserve the Patterns for later use. You can also save Patterns via MIDI, by using a MIDI data storage device such as the Yamaha MDF-1 MIDI Data Filer (see operation 5.7). 1. Press PATTERN and select Function 5.

then return to the Select Pattern display. 2.7 SHOW REMAINING MEMORY This function allows you to check the remaining Pattern memory of the RX17, as a percentage of its total Pattern memory capacity. Press PATTERN and select Function 7.

The function of the Song Mode is to allow you to connect different Patterns in order to form a drum sequence for an entire song or piece of music. The RX17 lets you create up to 10 Songs, numbered 0 thru 9. Each Song can contain up to 999 Parts, and the maximum number of Parts of all 10 Songs combined is 1200.

3. To restart play, press START to play from the beginning of the Song, or STOP/ CONTINUE, to play from the point at which play was stopped. If you stopped play during a repeat section, the repeat command will be ignored when you continue play. If you stopped play in the middle of a Pattern, pressing –1 NO or +1 YES before pressing the STOP/CONTINUE key will cause play to restart from the beginning of the previous Pattern, or the beginning of the next Pattern, respectively.

The LCD shows the first Part of the Song. The asterisks indicate that the Part is empty. The flashing cursor indicates that you can enter data. The flashing “PTN” indicates that the type of data you can enter is a Pattern number. NOTE 1: There are square brackets around “PTN”, as a further reminder that you can now enter a Pattern.

2. Press +1 YES to enter a begin Repeat command. The LCD will automatically move to the next Part. Continue editing (entering Patterns and other data) and when you reach the point at which an End repeat command is needed (for example, Part 5) use the key to select :ll, the symbol for an End repeat command.

2. The cursor will be flashing at the Volume Change value. Use the Numeric Key Pad to set this value. RANGE: 0–31. NOTE: The Volume Change function can NOT alter the volume of any note beyond the RX17’s Instrument Level range (0–31). 3.

You can also copy to a destination BEFORE the end of the Song, provided it comes BEFORE or AFTER the Parts which are lo be copied. This example shows what happens if we copy Parts 2 and 3 to Part 4. 1.

You now have another chance to cancel this operation, by pressing –1 NO. The LCD will return to the previous display, allowing you to select another Job. 3. To carry out the Delete operation, press +1 YES again. The LCD will show then return to the Delete display, allowing you to select another Job.

Songs on tape before clearing all Songs, if you wish to preserve the Songs for later use. You can also save Songs via MIDI, by using a MIDI data storage device such as the Yamaha MDF-1 MIDI Data Filer (see operation 5.7). 1. Press SONG and select Function 4.

The function of the Cassette Mode is to let you save Patterns and Songs onto a normal cassette tape. This allows you to clear (erase) Patterns and Songs stored in the RX17’s internal memory, and create new Patterns and Songs. You can then create an expanding cassette tape library of Patterns and Songs.

4.2 LOAD This Function allows you to load a complete set of Pattern and Song data from cassette into the RX17’s internal memory. NOTE: When you load data into the RX17, ALL Patterns and Songs in the internal memory will be erased. Be sure that you do not need this data, before you load the new data.

MIDI Note information (see 6.5.4 MIDI NOTE TRANSMIT). You can send the entire Pattern and Song memory from one RX17 to another RX17, or to a Yamaha MDF MIDI Data Filer (see 5.6 RECEIVE BULK and 5.7 TRANSMIT BULK).

5.3 SET RECEIVE CHANNEL MIDI signals can be sent and received on any of 16 MIDI Channels. This Function allows you to select which MIDI Channel the RX17 will use for reception of MIDI signals when it is being “played” by an external MIDI keyboard, sequencer or music computer. 1.

2. Press +1 YES to continue this Function. 3 . Press the instrument key corresponding to the instrument that is to be assigned. For example, Bass Drum. 6. Use the +1 YES or –1 NO key to set the MIDI Note. RANGE: C1 (36)–D#6 (99). Middle C is displayed as “C3 (60)“.

then return to the display for MIDI Function 1. The data has now been transmitted to the receiving RX17. If transmitting data to a QX1, you can also execute the actual transmission by sending a “Bulk Dump Request” from the QX1. In this case, the MIDI OUT of the QX1 must be connected to the MIDI IN of the RX17, as well as the QX1’s MIDI IN to the RX17’s MIDI OUT.

This chapter contains a variety of useful hints, some essential, some creative, to add to your enjoyment of the RX17. These will give you useful knowledge to encourage you to go beyond the limitations of this manual and create your own music. The RX17, in spite of its compact dimensions, has enormous potential! 6.1 THE lNSTRUMENTS 6.1.1 LATIN PERCUSSION INSTRUMENTS...

6.2.3 QUANTIZE APPLIED TO REAL TIME WRITE In Real Time Write, Quantize automatically corrects each part that you enter, to a selected minimum note length. This makes the writing of perfectly-timed Patterns easy and rapid. For example, you could set the Quantize to 1/8 and write in a simple Bass Drum figure. Even if you play the notes off the beat, you’ll hear them sound exactly on the beat as soon as the Pattern recycles.

APPLICATION EXAMPLE: RX17 plus QX21 plus TX81Z For this MIDI application use 5.1 SYNC to set the RX17’s sync mode to MIDI. Also, use 5.8 ECHO BACK to turn ON the “Echo Back” feature, so as to allow the QX21’s MIDI signals to be passed to the TX81Z via the RX17's MIDI OUT connector, which will be acting as a MIDI THRU terminal.

In the example shown the RX17 is being used with a Yamaha MT1X Multitrack Cassette Recorder, a QX5 Digital Sequence Recorder, a DX21 Digital Programmable Algorithm Synthesizer and a TX81Z Multi-Timbral FM Tone Generator. A YME8 MIDI Expander allows the QX5 to send MIDI data to the RX17, the DX21 and the TX81Z.